Winding Oaks horses sell for $5+ million

Iconic farm last of its kind on SR 200 corridor

The main residence of Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala sits atop a hill along Southwest 66th Street in this file photo from June 12, 2014.

Doug Engle/Star-Banner

By Carlos E. MedinaCorrespondent

Published: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

The end of Eugene Melnyk’s thoroughbred racing stable and Ocala’s Winding Oaks Farm took a big step forward this week after he sold off the majority of his horses at public auction in Kentucky.

The 66 horses sold at the Fasig-Tipton auction Monday brought more than $5.2 million.

The top seller was a 2-year-old filly that sold for $1,075,000. Named Bedford Lane, the filly was purchased by Three Chimneys Farm. She is a daughter of Speightstown.

Ocala-based Bridlewood Farm bid aggressively on Bedford Lane.

“When it became clear that Three Chimneys was willing to go to any number, I let sanity prevail on my bidding process,” said George Isaacs, Bridlewood farm manager.

Bridlewood eventually bought 3-year-old Paradise Alley for $320,000. The filly is a daughter of Flower Alley and is out of the mare Sealy Hill. The mare earned more than $1.7 million on the track and was the 2007 Canadian horse of the year.

“We’re very excited about her as a racing prospect immediately, and a broodmare at the end of her racing career,” Isaacs said.

Bridlewood was purchased in 2013 by billionaire John Malone, who paid $14 million for the 800-acre farm. Malone kept the farm’s name, which was founded in 1976 by Arthur I. Appleton. Appleton, who started the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, died in 2008.

Phil Hronec, Winding Oaks general manager, had mixed feelings about the sale.

“I thought it was a good sale. I think some people got some very good buys,” Hronec said.

“We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into these horses that we sold. I’m going to seriously miss them, and I know Mr. Melnyk will.”

Melnyk announced his retirement from the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry in June after more than 20 years in the business.

Winding Oaks was established in 2001, after Melnyk, a Canadian billionaire, bought the 1,000-acre site of the former Mockingbird Farm on west State Road 200.

Mockingbird Farm was established in 1972 by Harry T. Mangurian Jr., who grew the farm into a large commercial breeding operation. The farm included nearly 300 broodmares and six stallions before Mangurian also decided to retire from the business in 1999.

Melnyk, who made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, spent several years bringing the property back to its former glory.

The farm is one of the last thoroughbred farms along the corridor that has seen other iconic properties, such as the Bonnie Heath, Dudley and Tartan farms, go to development.

Winding Oaks is still home to four stallions, including Graeme Hall.

Melnyk also has interests in Kentucky-based stallions Speightstown and Flower Alley.

“The stallions will sit at the farm until the November mixed sale and they will probably go in that sale along with a couple of other horses,” Hronec said.

The farm is also up for sale.

“Right now, there are some lookers at the farm, but that’s all we have so far. We’ll hang on to the farm until we get a buyer or whatever happens,” Hronec said. “Everybody hates to see an owner of Mr. Melnyk’s status get out of the business. He’s been good for the business for 15, 20 years.”

<p>The end of Eugene Melnyk's thoroughbred racing stable and Ocala's Winding Oaks Farm took a big step forward this week after he sold off the majority of his horses at public auction in Kentucky.</p><p>The 66 horses sold at the Fasig-Tipton auction Monday brought more than $5.2 million.</p><p>The top seller was a 2-year-old filly that sold for $1,075,000. Named Bedford Lane, the filly was purchased by Three Chimneys Farm. She is a daughter of Speightstown.</p><p>Ocala-based Bridlewood Farm bid aggressively on Bedford Lane.</p><p>“When it became clear that Three Chimneys was willing to go to any number, I let sanity prevail on my bidding process,” said George Isaacs, Bridlewood farm manager.</p><p>Bridlewood eventually bought 3-year-old Paradise Alley for $320,000. The filly is a daughter of Flower Alley and is out of the mare Sealy Hill. The mare earned more than $1.7 million on the track and was the 2007 Canadian horse of the year.</p><p>“We're very excited about her as a racing prospect immediately, and a broodmare at the end of her racing career,” Isaacs said.</p><p>Bridlewood was purchased in 2013 by billionaire John Malone, who paid $14 million for the 800-acre farm. Malone kept the farm's name, which was founded in 1976 by Arthur I. Appleton. Appleton, who started the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, died in 2008.</p><p>Phil Hronec, Winding Oaks general manager, had mixed feelings about the sale.</p><p>“I thought it was a good sale. I think some people got some very good buys,” Hronec said.</p><p>“We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into these horses that we sold. I'm going to seriously miss them, and I know Mr. Melnyk will.”</p><p>Melnyk announced his retirement from the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry in June after more than 20 years in the business.</p><p>Winding Oaks was established in 2001, after Melnyk, a Canadian billionaire, bought the 1,000-acre site of the former Mockingbird Farm on west State Road 200.</p><p>Mockingbird Farm was established in 1972 by Harry T. Mangurian Jr., who grew the farm into a large commercial breeding operation. The farm included nearly 300 broodmares and six stallions before Mangurian also decided to retire from the business in 1999.</p><p>Melnyk, who made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, spent several years bringing the property back to its former glory.</p><p>The farm is one of the last thoroughbred farms along the corridor that has seen other iconic properties, such as the Bonnie Heath, Dudley and Tartan farms, go to development.</p><p>Winding Oaks is still home to four stallions, including Graeme Hall.</p><p>Melnyk also has interests in Kentucky-based stallions Speightstown and Flower Alley.</p><p>“The stallions will sit at the farm until the November mixed sale and they will probably go in that sale along with a couple of other horses,” Hronec said.</p><p>The farm is also up for sale.</p><p>“Right now, there are some lookers at the farm, but that's all we have so far. We'll hang on to the farm until we get a buyer or whatever happens,” Hronec said. “Everybody hates to see an owner of Mr. Melnyk's status get out of the business. He's been good for the business for 15, 20 years.”</p>